Beautiful
by Cherralea
Summary: The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was the one. He was battered and broken, but it mattered not. To me, he's beautiful.
1. Chapter 1

LUCY'S POV:

The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was the one. He was battered and broken, but it mattered not. To me, he's beautiful.

I remember our encounter like it was yesterday. Battles were occurring all around us, but one look, and I was mesmerized by him. His dark onyx eyes reflected sadness, regret, and pain. Midnight was barely conscious from his battle with Erza. He had nasty gashes all over his body, and it was a miracle that he was still standing.

As I watched, he collapsed onto the ground, lying there motionlessly. I gasped, trying to hold back from the urge to run over to him. There was something about Midnight that drew me to him. Seeing him like that pained me. Staring at his unmoving figure determinedly, I pulled away from the rest of my teammates.

"I need to see if he's okay," I whispered, walking to the fallen Mage. He looked so peaceful that I could almost believe that he was asleep. Slowly reaching out, I ran my fingers through his long spiky hair, lost in thought. How could something be so wrong, but feel so right? Midnight was not what normally someone would call beautiful, but to me, he was.

Suddenly, with no warning, he snapped back into consciousness. His eyes shot open, and his hand snatched my wrist. Panicking, I struggled to pull away from his grip. When Midnight saw me, he visually relaxed, and threw me ten feet away.

When my teammates found me, they were furious. "Lucy, I _told_ you to stay away from him!" Erza shouted. "He's dangerous! He's the _enemy_!" I nodded avoiding her gaze. Erza's glare softened. "Come on, Lucy." Looking back at Midnight's battered and bruised body, I grudgingly let her pull me away.

Smiling at the memory, I opened the door to my apartment, half expecting team Natsu to jump out. When only silence greeted me, I heaved a relieved sigh. Fumbling to find the lights, I tripped over a chair. I winced, waiting for my impact with the floor, but it never came. Instead, I felt myself land on something hard. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself on top of Midnight. "What are you doing here?" I squeaked, trying to hide my blossoming blush.

He stared at me coldly from under me. "Please get off of me. And to answer your question, I'm here to see you. Don't even try to deny that _something_ had happened between us during the battle." He shoved me away, dusting himself off. Midnight was still injured from the battle, his clothes soaked with blood and grime.

"Okay," I stammered, avoiding his eyes. "Why don't you sit down."

MIDNIGHT'S POV:

The moment I laid my eyes on the blonde celestial Mage, I knew that she was unique from all the others. I was weak and pitiful, but she didn't seem to care. When I collapsed, she came to me. Her large brown eyes swimming with worry for _me_. Me, a criminal. She was loved by her nakama, and showed me kindness despite the fact we attacked Fairy Tail. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't get her out of my mind. Now, I have to confront her. About _us_.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Beautiful

Summary: The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was the one. He was battered and broken, but it mattered not. To me, he's beautiful.

Rating: T

Words: 663

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long. Thank you all for reading. Enjoy!

LUCY'S POV

He looked absolutely horrible; his injuries were left untreated and his clothes filthy with blood and dirt. While he sat at my desk, I wordlessly reached for my first aid kit I keep with me at all times. I was basically the nurse of Team Natsu. Midnight watched me carefully, but allowed me to clean and dress his wounds.

"Y-you should change. I'll wash your clothes and give them back later. I think I still have the few shirts I keep here just in case Gray strips…" Reaching for the garments, I handed them to Midnight. "You can clean up in the bathroom right over there."

He silently accepted the clothing, and headed for the bathroom. Minutes later, the sound of running water could be heard. I got up, busying myself around the apartment. _He looks even worse than when I last saw him, _I thought worriedly. _What could have possibly happened?_ It was true that Erza had injured him, but they weren't this bad. Midnight looked like he was going to drop dead with exhaustion.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice when Midnight came back in the room until he cleared his throat. I spun around to face him. He was wearing a loose blue t-shirt and black shorts. "Oh! You're done," I smiled, handing him a bowl of soup. "Here, eat." When he didn't reply, I went on, "You know, I've never seen you in anything but black."

He didn't reply. "Midnight," I say hesitantly, "Would you mind if I asked the reason why you are in this state?" I gestured at his wounds. "Really, you don't have to answer, but I would really like to know how you got so injured, because Erza didn't hurt you _this _bad. I mean, you look even worse-"

"It was my father," he said, cutting my sentence short. "No big deal."

"_No big deal?_" I gasped. "Your father _hit_ you, and you're sitting there saying it's _no big deal_? I can't believe that man! You can't beat up your kids, leaving them like this." The unfairness of it all was unbearable.

Midnight shrugged. "It's not so bad. After all, I _did_ lose to the Titania."

I frowned, but I could see his uncomfortable reaction to this. He would grimace whenever I mentioned his father, and the sight of a mage like him so hurt brought angry tears to my eyes. "Fine," I say, changing the subject, "So, do you want to come with me to Fairy Tail? I'm sure no one would mind your being there."

MIDNIGHT'S POV

"Are you out of your mind, Fairy? They hate me," I said dryly. "Your nakama will murder me for being ten meters near you."

Lucy smiles, "No, they won't. Please, I can't hide you here forever. I mean, you've got nowhere to go, and-" At her words, my face immediately hardened. Seeing my expression, she quickly shut up. "I'm sorry," she says quietly. "You know I wasn't aiming to offend you."

"Listen, _Fairy_," I say, "I didn't _ask_ you to take me in. I'm not looking for pity. I was doing just fine on my own." I knew I was being overly defensive, but I couldn't stop my anger. "I don't _need_ your help!"

"You _need_ help, but you're just so stubborn! Look at you! You're hurt, and you look like you're about to drop dead. Why can't you let someone just _help_ you?"

"I don't NEED your help!" I shouted. "I've been just fine by myself for so long, and you can't change that!"

All the anger seemed to drain out of me, admitting that I grew up without anyone just to rely on. Lucy sighed. "Midnight, I'm sorry, okay? I was being insensitive. I promise, I don't pity you. It's just a friend helping another friend." She gave me a small smile. "Why don't we start over? Hi, I'm Lucy Heartfilla. You can call me Lucy."

"Hi, I'm Midnight. Just Midnight."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you everybody for reading this! I'm sorry it took me so long to update; I got a bad case of writer's block. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fairy Tail (sadly)!

LUCY'S POV

"Miiiidnight! I'm _bored_," I pouted, glancing at him. "It's so _dull_ in here!"

"Go read a book," he says, his eyes still closed. "Or even better, finish yours. You're always complaining about not enough time to write."

"Let's go _out_ and do something," I suggested, sprawled out across my bed. "I could show you around! Ooh, I just know the perfect place to bring you! I heard that a new bakery downtown opened last week. We can go together, it'll be fun!"

Midnight and gave me a sour look. "No."

"Aww, why not?" I complained, crossing my arms. "I've heard from Erza that they have awesome pastries. She likes their strawberry cakes, but she says their banana cream pies aren't bad either."

"No, Lucy." Ignoring me, he went back to flipping through his book. I pouted. "You're no fun." Fiddling with the helm of my dress, I sulkily glanced at him.

We sat in silence. After a minute, I spoke up again. "We could do a mission together, if you want! I could go to Fairy Tail and select one the two of us could do together. We can split the reward between us. I need to pay my rent soon anyway!"

Looking up, he glanced at me briefly. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. "Won't it look strange for you to leave on a mission alone, when you always go with Team Natsu?"

"Come on! It'll be fine. Don't worry about my team; even _I_ occasionally go on a solo mission, so no one will have any reason suspect anything. However, I can't pick one too difficult, just in case Mira gets suspicious. Please, Midnight?" I wheedled. "We'll have a great time."

Midnight gave a small smile at my enthusiasm. "Sure, I guess it _would_ be better than laying around all day."

"Really? That's great!" I bounced up, a large smile adorning my face. "Don't worry; it won't take long. I promise!" I said cheerfully at his response. "You'll be okay by yourself for a while right? Just keep the doors and windows locked; sometimes Natsu sneaks in." I grinned, imagining Natsu's reaction to find me housing an criminal. "At most, it should take an hour. Until I'm back, help yourself to anything around the house."

Quickly retrieving my jacket from my room, I shrugged it on. "Bye! Don't get into any trouble when I'm gone."

I stepped out of my apartment with a big smile. I've found myself really enjoying Midnight's company, when he isn't acting so gloomy all the time. He was a good person, despite what everyone said. _I hope I'll find a suitable mission, _I thought, _Midnight needs time to get away from all his troubles._

When I pushed through the guild doors, I went straight for the mission board. My eyes skimmed over the papers, until they settled on one. Grabbing it, I walked over to the bar. "Hi, Mira!" I sat down, handing her a jewel note. "I'll have a strawberry smoothie, please." As Mira was making my smoothie, I set down the mission, showing it to her. "I'll be taking this mission, please."

"Are you going on it with Team Natsu? Because for Fairy Tail's strongest team, it is entirely too easy." Mira looked it over. "Maybe, you might like this one… I've been saving it for you guys, because it'd be perfect for Team Natsu. I must have put it in here-"

"Mira, I was actually thinking of taking this as a _solo_ mission," I said, "To take some time off and just concentrate on training. You know that wherever Team Natsu goes, we get kicked out. Natsu burns anything within a mile, Gray freezes everything, and Erza is a demon when she's angry. I really need a vacation from all that drama. I love them, but they are very, _very_ destructive."

She frowned. "This might be too hard for solo. Maybe you can get Natsu to go with you? I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Or Gray. I think he was complaining about having nothing to do a few days ago. Erza might want a harder task, but I'm sure you can convince her easily enough." I quickly shook my head.

"Thanks, Mira, but I really think I should do this alone. I can do this mission easily enough. Please!" Mira sighed, stamping the paper and sliding it back to me.

"Well, good luck! I'm sure you'll do just fine," she said kindly, before returning to polishing the glasses. "On your way out, watch out for Natsu and Gray. I think they're fighting again."

"I'm back!" I threw open my apartment door, expecting to see Midnight. "Midnight! I got us a mission. I think you'll like it!" When I found the living room empty, I frowned. Leaving my bag on the couch, I walked to my bedroom, quietly opening the door. Midnight was inside, sitting, with my notebook open on his lap.

"_MIDNIGHT_! IS THAT MY NOVEL?" I screeched, barging in and snatching it from him. "Don't you know that it's rude to snoop in other people's stuff?"

Taking no notice of my ranting, Midnight commented, "I like your plot line, Lucy. However, I think you should have more _action_ between the two main characters." Midnight pointed out a sentence to me. "See, here would be perfect scene for a confession, or something like that. They're just dancing around the fact that they like each other in a way that is more than just friends."

"Are you telling me to add a confession scene _two chapters_ into the book?" I asked curiously. "I just thought of the two as best friends, but with feelings for each other. But they're afraid of ruining their friendship, so they resort to trying to prevent a relationship between them."

"You wrote this about Natsu, didn't you?" He asked suddenly. "You like him."

MIDNIGHT'S POV

My heart thumped in my chest as Lucy stiffly protested, "Of course I like him! He's my nakama. I just don't like him in way you're saying. He's me friend and teammate. _That's all._"

Seeing her uncomfortable reaction to the question, I dropped the subject. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business. I acted rashly out of curiosity," I apologized. "So, what mission did you pick for us?"  
"We'll be hunting down a bunch of bandits," she told me, handing over the paper. "Until they attempt to rob the hotel again, we were offered rooms to stay in." Lucy seemed much more relaxed, a smile on her face.

I fixed the paper with a hard stare. Looking over it quickly, I replied, "Sure. To be honest, it's a bit easy, but then again, it _is_ supposed to be more of a vacation rather than a job. I'm in." She smiled, and for some reason, I felt the urge to smile back.

"Midnight?" she said quietly. "I just wanted you to know, I really don't like Natsu that way." Right then, standing there with her, I felt happier than I've been for a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Beautiful**

**Summary: ****The moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew he was the one. He was battered and broken, but it mattered not. To me, he's beautiful.**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

**Author's Note: Hi! I'm sorry it took so long for me to post. I'm a really slow writer. I know that's no excuse, but thank you all for being patient! This chapter has a lot of fluff; I just finished reading ****If I Stay**** and was in the mood for romance! Please comment below!**

**LUCY'S POV**

"Are we there yet?" I ask again, poking Midnight in the stomach. "We've been sitting here for _hours_, and all you've done is sleep."

Without opening his eyes, Midnight frowns. "Lucy, it's been thirty minutes. Hardly _hours_, like you claim."

Fixing him with a small pout, I crossed my arms. "Well, usually I have entertainment on train rides. As you probably know, being in Team Natsu is never boring. They seriously create chaos wherever they go! Quite troublesome, really."

Sighing dramatically, I slumped back onto the hard train seat. "How you can sleep so much will forever be a mystery to me."

"Go bother someone else," he said, closing his eyes once more. "Or even better, don't talk at all. I'm resting." Huffing at his mediocre reaction, I turned away. After a while, I turned back.

"I think we should talk about our mission." I poked him again, until he opened one eye.

"Fine! Just stop poking me!"

"We need a alias. I propose that we act like a couple, because face it, we look nothing alike and can't pass off as brother and sister. We can say we're on our honeymoon!"

He blushed. "How about we just say that we are just friends? It's true."

"Not believable enough. My idea is better."

Midnight grumbled, "Why did you discuss this with me if you already got it all figured out?"

I beamed. "Just wanted another opinion. I'm glad we agree that my idea is more way better." He groaned, and went back to sleep.

**MIDNIGHT'S POV**

"WE'RE HERE!" Lucy squealed. "We are _finally_ off the train!"

Picking up my bag, I said, "Lets go check into the hotel, Luce."

She pouted. "No. We can do that later. Right now, I really want to go exploring. Please, Midnight!"

"We could do that later, too," I said. She gave me the puppy dog eyes. Knowing I couldn't resist, I sighed, giving in. "Fine. But be have to be back before sundown." Together we headed north, until we reached a small, secluded pond in the wilderness.

"Wow, it's beautiful here," I heard her say, watching as sun dipped towards the mountain on the other side of the lake. The misty clouds flashed bright red and orange, as the lake turned into a reflection of the scarlet and gold hues in the sky, mirroring the shadow of the mountain perfectly.

Shrugging, I said, "It's okay, I guess."

We sat down at the edge of the lake. "Why are you always depressed all the time?" Lucy asked, a small frown on her face. "If this can't cheer you up, what will?" _You, _I thought, _you always cheer me up._

"I was a Tower of Heaven slave as a young child, much like the other Oración

Seis members. It's just that growing up was hard. I never got to have fun, or play with other kids," I said, glancing over at her. Lucy had let her hair down, and she never looked more beautiful to me, there in the dim light. Her brown eyes shone in the fading sunset; her gaze unwavering making me feel like I was falling into a pool of deep chocolate.

"Oh." She sighed, and turned away. Changing the subject, she lightheartedly smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you wear eyeliner, Midnight? It makes you look goth."

"My father liked it." The response, short and simple, brought a frown to her face.

"I've always wondered what you'd look like without it," she said thoughtfully, before she gave me a mischievous grin.

I scowled. "I'm not taking it off, if that's what you're asking."

"Don't worry," she said cheerfully, "I'll do it for you." With that, she gave me a hard shove, and I tumbled into the cold water. Her happy laughter filled the air.

"Lucy!" I bellowed, "I'll get you for that!"

Grabbing her hand, I yanked. She fell backwards, and went underneath the water. I waited for her to resurface, but when she didn't, I panicked. I felt like I was drowning, suffocating with fear. "Lucy!" I shouted, diving under to look for her, "Lucy!"

Her blond head poked up. "Yes, Midnight?"

I let out my breath. "Thank god you didn't drown. Why would you scare me like that?!"

She smiled, and gently splashed me. "It's just a joke! Don't worry, I'd never leave you."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE- Please comment below! You know you want to ;)**


	5. Author

Hi, everyone! I'm officially putting this story on hold until further notice. It's just that I am really busy nowadays, with school and whatnot. So thanks for reading my story. (Don't worry, I plan on finishing it)


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